Instead of using a simple lifetime average, Udemy calculates a course's star rating by considering a number of different factors such as the number of ratings, the age of ratings, and the likelihood of fraudulent ratings.

Photography: Ditch Auto - Start Shooting in Manual

Instead of using a simple lifetime average, Udemy calculates a course's star rating by considering a number of different factors such as the number of ratings, the age of ratings, and the likelihood of fraudulent ratings.

DSLR Camera, though not required. Much of what you will learn will help you shoot better photos with any camera.

Description

Why Take This Course?

You have a DSLR Camera or a fancy Point-and-shoot, but have not been using it to it's full potential. You know that the scary "manual mode" holds a whole new level of customization which would result in better quality photos but have resisted. Terms like Shutter Speed and Aperture sound confusing and you don't know where to start.

If that sounds familiar, I want to assure you that by the end of my FREE course you will understand what those settings do and be on your way to controlling your camera rather than your camera controlling you.

You made an investment in a decent camera and it's time to start using it's features

In this course you will learn the basics of DSLR Photography and how to shoot in manual mode. My goal is to give you the tools so you can train your brain to think like a Photographer. You will also know how to control your camera instead of leaving it up to Auto Mode to try and to it's best.

How Long Is This Course?

So far, the course is just over 4 hours in length. You can watch it in chunks or all at once. It is best to watch it with camera in hand so you can pause and follow along with your camera. All DSLR Cameras are different so your settings may look different than mine.

What Should I Expect?

You should expect to be able to shoot photos with confidence in pretty much all situations. Whether you are taking pictures of your kids for the memories or are considering Photography as a profession, this is everything I had to teach myself in order to understand my camera.

Who are you Jerad Hill?

I am a Wedding Photographer with over 6 years of professional experience. I have shot over 200 weddings, 120 engagement sessions, 150 portrait sessions and 1000's of photos of my own kids. For fun I have shot live concerts and music videos. I am also a Wedding Videographer and do a lot with video. Expect a course on DSLR Video soon.

Thanks for checking out my course. Please subscribe and make sure to share it with that friend of yours who has a nice camera that is always complaining about not understanding it.

Who is the target audience?

Photographers, Bloggers, Parents, Hobbyists, and anybody who wants to take better pictures with their camera.

In this video we look at cameras and discus basic camera concepts to help you better understand your camera.

Camera

07:24

An overview of lens types and options available to DSLR cameras.

Lenses

14:12

A brief discussion on the different types of lighting and what is available.

Lighting

02:48

Different camera stabilization options and when to use them.

Stabilization

09:52

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Getting To Know Your Camera

9 Lectures
01:13:11

The first step toward taking better photos is understanding your camera. We look at the basic features of a DSLR camera.

Basic Features of a DSLR

11:37

The shutter speed adjustment tells your camera how long to hold the shutter open which allows more or less light to hit the sensor. In this video we talk about what that means and how it can effect your photo.

Shutter Speed

05:56

The Aperture setting on a camera tells the lens how much it should open to let light in to hit the sensor. In this video we discuss what that means and how it can effect your photo.

Aperture

08:54

In this video we discuss the ISO setting on your camera. The ISO setting adjusts your camera's sensitivity to the light coming in through the lens. We discuss what that means and how it effects your photo.

ISO

05:52

Most cameras have several adjustments to help with focus. In this video we discuss those options and how they can effect the way you take pictures.

Focus Options

07:36

Camera menus can be confusing. In this video we briefly look at camera menu options and what functions they perform.

Camera Menus Part 1

11:15

Camera menus can be confusing. In this video we briefly look at camera menu options and what functions they perform.

Camera Menus Part 2

10:10

Camera menus can be confusing. In this video we briefly look at camera menu options and what functions they perform.

Camera Menus Part 3

04:29

In this video we look at the image review function on a DSLR camera to view important information about our photos.

Image Review

07:22

A short quiz to make sure you understand the basic concepts of your DSLR Camera.

Getting To Know Your Camera Section Quiz

9 questions

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Understanding Light

6 Lectures
52:40

An overview of on camera flash and how it works. We look at both built in camera flash and on camera mountable flash strobes like Speedlights.

On Camera Flash

13:48

In this video we look at off camera flash options and Speedlights.

Off Camera Flash

16:59

In this video we look at taking photos with natural light.

Natural Light

11:31

In this video we go outside to look at how sunlight can effect our photos. We also look at reflectors and light modifiers.

Sunlight

05:36

A look at using on camera flash outdoors.

On Camera Flash Outdoors

02:46

Using off camera flash outdoors as a fill light or key light.

Off Camera Flash Outdoors

02:00

Quiz for the end of the lighting section.

Lighting Quiz

4 questions

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Know Your Settings

5 Lectures
38:43

Learn how to use your cameras built in light meeter to set proper exposure.

Nailing Exposure Part 1

04:44

Learn how to use your cameras built in light meeter to set proper exposure.

Nailing Exposure Part 2

07:37

A short quiz on nailing your exposure. Having a good understanding of basic exposure concepts

will help you capture better photos.

Nailing Your Exposure Quiz

4 questions

Tips on shooting portraits of people. UPDATE!! At around the 6:15 mark of this video I mention "increase shutter speed to compensate." What I meant to say was Increase ISO to compensate. Increasing shutter speed would let in less light. Sorry about the mistake. I obviously was talking to fast. ;)

Shooting Portraits

09:18

Tips on shooting sports.

Shooting Sports

08:11

Tips for taking pictures in low light situations.

Shooting In Low Light

08:53

A short quiz on the three different settings example videos.

Know Your Settings Quiz

4 questions

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Know Your Subjects

4 Lectures
41:32

Tips for taking pictures of people.

Photographing People

08:10

Tips for taking pictures of couples.

Photographing Couples

09:24

Tips for photographing kids.

Photographing Kids

13:00

Tips for photographing groups.

Photographing Groups

10:58

Simple quiz for the Subjects section.

Know Your Subjects Quiz

4 questions

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Other Tips & Closing Thoughts

5 Lectures
31:38

In this video I encourage you to have fun and explore with your camera. The only way to get better is to stretch your abilities and to try new things.

Play - Have fun with it and try new things

06:25

In this video we take a quick look at editing a photo in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop CS6. I have also included the Camera RAW and JPG file so you can play with it in Lightroom and/or Photoshop. These files are untouched right out of my camera. To use the RAW file you will need an updated version of Lightroom or Adobe Camera RAW in Photoshop or Adobe Bridge.

Editing in Photoshop & Lightroom

10:46

Feel free to ask me questions about you camera or photography in general. I will do my best to answer questions.

Hi all, I am a website designer and photographer who has been working for himself since graduating high school. I taught myself website design and development so I could start my own business. In 2005 I taught myself photography and started a photography business as a professional wedding photographer. Since then, I have helped hundreds companies and organizations market their products and services online. As a photographer, I continue to capture photos and produce video for weddings, events, conferences and more.

I teach because I was taught by so many through blog posts, articles and online videos. Teaching allows me to give back and teach others the way I would have liked to be taught. Many of my courses are free because I believe in giving back.

I am a husband and father with three amazing kids. You can learn more about me at my website. I hope to see you in one of my courses. Thanks so much!